U.S. Pat. No. 3,123,331 shows an example of a type of hanger in widespread use in hanging plastic envelopes or bags containing, e.g., folded shirts. The '331 hanger comprises a one-piece plastic body having a hook portion having a lower end portion from which a projection extends forwardly. Upwardly of the lower end portion is a foldable strap defining a detent for the projection. In use, the projection is inserted through a cardboard header, a lower portion of which is secured to the top of the front and rear walls of a plastic envelope containing the folded shirt. The strap is then folded and the projection is secured in the detent.
The garment industry has come to provide such hangers without the header of the '331 patent, i.e., holes are provided directly in the front and rear walls of a plastic envelope and the projection is inserted through both of the front and rear walls and the detent and projection securement is forwardly of the front wall. The securement is a releasable one, such that a purchaser may open the envelope to inspect the contained article, e.g., to gain a sense of its texture.
A serious problem attending the hanger described immediately above is that the hangers tend to separate from the plastic bag during the inspection of the article. When this occurs, and a customer does not reassemble the envelope and hanger, as is customary, the hangerless envelope is left on a counter and the efficacy of the original hung display of the article is lost.